Centrifugal steam-engine governor mechanism.



W. M. PABER.

GENTRIPUGAL STEAM ENGINE GOVERNOR MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED DEO.1, 1910.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

2 s'HBETssHEBT 1.

FIG-.1

WITNESSES 2/ INVENTOR W. M. FABER.

GBNTRIFUGAL STEAM ENGINE GOVERNOR MECHANISM.

FIG. 5

WITNESSES APPLIGATION FILED DEO.1, 1910.

COLUMBIA vumouluum 60.. WASHINGTON, u. c.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. FABER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN STEEL & WIRE COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

Application filed December 1, 1910. Serial No. 595,018.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IVILLIAM M. FABER, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Centrifugal Steam- Engine Governor Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatus used in regulating the speed and controlling the operation of reciprocating engines actuated by the expansion of steam or other gaseous fluid, and more particularly relates to the construction and operation of centrifugal governor mechanisms used in regulating and controlling the speed and operation of Corliss steam engines, or engines equipped with a similar type of valve gear. Heretofore, in operating such steam engines having centrifugal governors, the engine valve gear, the governor and the mechanism connecting the governor to the valve gear are constructed and arranged in such manner that under certain conditions, such as for example, the case of an overload, or a sus tained heavy load, or by reason of a decrease in steam pressure, the speed of the engine after becoming gradually lessened for a definite interval is further reduced to the point where the governor through the connecting mechanism has actuated the safety cams on the valve gear to prevent opening of the steam inlet valves, causing the valves to remain in their closed position. As while the safety cams remain in this position the steam supply is cut ofi from the engine, the engine becomes stalled and its further operation stopped. Under such conditions, with the centrifugal governors as heretofore constructed, the only way of preventing stalling or stoppage of the engine by reason of a long continued overload or by decrease in steam pressure, is to operate the engine with the governor safety stop secured in position to limit the valve closing movement of the governor mechanism to a point at which the valves cannot be closed. Such practice is objectionable and extremely dangerous, as it prevents the governor from operating to bring the engine to a stop upon the occurrence of breakage or other accident to the governor or governor driving mechanism and is the frequent cause of serious damage to the engine.

One object of my invention is to provide a governor mechanism for regulating the speed and controlling the operation of such engines having improved means whereby the speed of the engine is regulated and controlled at all times when the engine is in operation and the steam supply is automatically shut off to stop the engine upon the occurrence of breakage or other accident to the governor or governor driving mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide a governor mechanism for regulating and controlling the speed of steam engines having improved means for operating the governor mechanism by which the valve closing movement in shutting off the steam supply is retarded and prevented for a certain interval during which time the engine is being run at speeds between certain pre-determined limits without interfering with the operation of the governor to acuate the safety cams in case of accident to the governor or governor driving mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to provide a centrifugal governor mechanism constructed and arranged to remove any necessity for blocking the governor by the governor safety stop and in this way prevent liability of racing and disastrous wrecks and damage to the engine and surrounding property, caused by excessive speed or running away of the engine by reason of preventing the movement of or accidental failure to move the safety stop into its inoperative position after the engine is started and while the engine is being operated.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a centrifugal governor mechanism constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation looking at right angles to that of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1 showing the connections between the retarding mechanism and the governor balls or weights. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic elevation showing the relative positions assumed by the governor balls and retarding counter-weight lever and counter-weight, and the connecting mechanism in operating the governor mechanism, shown and described herein. Fig. is a side elevation showing a steam engine with my improved governor mechanism appliedfor use thereon.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates a hollow vertical standard or column supporting the governor mechanism which is mounted upon the cross-head slides of the steam engine 23. Secured in the opening in the hollow standard 2 is a rotatory vertically extending spindle or shaft 3 having a pivot pin 3 on its upper end to which the weights or governor balls t of the governor mechanism are pivotally secured by the links or levers 5. The spindle 3, as shown, is fixed against longitudinal movement and its lower end is connected by a suitable driving gear to the engine. Also mounted upon the rotary spindle 3 so as to be vertically movable thereon is a weight 6 which does not rotate, having on its lower end a collar or sleeve 7 constructed to rotate with the balls or weights 4 and ball levers 5 and the connecting links 8 by which the ball levers 5 are attached to the sleeve or collar 7, through which the governor balls are operatively connected to the weight 6. The lower end (3 of the weight 6 projects downwardly into the upper end of the opening extending through the hollow standard or column 2 and on the lower end 6 of this weight are the horizontally extending lugs or pins 9 which project from opposite sides of the vertical axis of the weight 6. The pins 9 extend through the slots 10 in the walls at the top end of the column or pedestal 2 and one of these pins 9 is connected by the rod or link 11 with the piston of the dash pct 12. The other of the lugs or pins 9 is pivotally connected by the link or rod 13 with the horizontal arm of the bell crank 2% forming part of the valve operating mechanism by which the engine valve gear is actuated in opening and closing the engine valves.

Pivotally secured to the boss 14 located on the outer surface of the standard or column 2 is a bell crank having arms 15 and 15 forming the safety stop for the governor mechanism by means of which the weights or balls l are held in their lifted or raised position (that shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings) in starting the engine. The usual lifting lever (not shown) isprovided for raising the balls prior to starting the engine. The vertically extending arm 15 of the bell crank, when in its operative position, is moved, after the weight 6 and balls 4 are lifted, from the dotted position shown in Fig. 1 so as to extend vertically into the path of one of the pins 9. \Vhen in this position,

the upper end of the lever 15 will engage with this pin and until the operation of the engine is commenced, prevent the downward movementof the pins and of the governor balls 4: and connecting mechanism then necessary to operate the safety cams of the valve gear so as to maintain the valves of the engine valve gear in closed position. The horizontally extending arm 15 of the bell crank is provided with a rod 16 extending through the lug or .boss 18, having a handle 17 by which the bell crank. is moved into operative position, this rod and its handle acting as a counter-weight which will automatically move the vertical arm 15 into its inoperative position shown dotted in Fig. 1.

Secured to. the standard 2 is a lug 22 to which the lever or arm 19 is pivoted at an intermediate point in its length, with one end of this lever 19 extending horizontally into the path of and below one of the pins 9, so as to be engaged by this pin 9 when reduction in the speed of the engine permits the vertically movable counter-weight 6 and pins 9 to descend. The opposite end of the lever 19 is provided with an adjustable counter-weight 20 held in position thereon by means of the set screw 21, the counterweight and lever being arranged to retardwithout preventing downward movement of the weight 6 and without positive interference with the movement of the governor balls and connecting mechanism, in operating to move the inlet valves in throttlingv or stopping the engine.

The novel features of this invention and the operation of the mechanism with the distinctive differences from governor mechanisms as constructed heretofore, will be best understood by reference to the diagram shown by Fig. 4t which illustrates the move ment of the governor balls or weights t relative to that of the pins 9 on the weight 6 by which the governor is operatively connectedi to the engine valve gear and relative to that of the counter-weighted retarding lever 19 comprising part of this invention. As shown in this diagram, when the swinging governor balls 4 are held in the position A shown in full. lines, either by the safety stop formed by the bell crank arm 15 or by centrifugal force, the lever 19 will be in substantially horizontal position A, these positions of the balls and counter weighted lever corresponding to those shown in Fig. 1. The governor balls in this position are raised or lifted to the position in which the safety stop formed by the bell crank arm 15 can be moved into its operative or holding position by means of the handle 17 on the rod 16. hen in this position, unless the engine is running, the engine valves can be opened by means of the engine starting bar so as to permit starting of the engine.

In starting the engine, when its speed reaches the point at which the centrifugal force of the revolving balls 4 lifts the balls beyond the position shown at A, the safety stop lever 15 is released and automatically returns to its inoperative (dotted) position shown where it remains until again manually lifted. Further rising movement of the balls 4 above the position designated A in the diagram, (and shown in full lines in Fig. 1) acts to regulate the speed in the usual manner, the extreme raised position of these balls being indicated by dotted lines at C. Should the engine lose speed by reason, for example, of an overload or reduced steam pressure, the balls will be lowered and, upon descending to the position shown by A, the pin 9 on the lower end 6 of the weight 6 will engage with one end of the counter-weighted lever 19. Further downward movement of the governor balls by reason of a sustained over-load or further decrease in the steam pressure, will then be retarded by the act-ion of the counter-weight 20 and lever 19 without preventing further downward movement of the governor balls toward the lowermost position of the parts indicated by B in Fig. 4, and when the governor balls reach the position shown at B, the counterweighted end of the lever 19 will be in the position B shown in the diagram and the governor mechanism will then have moved the engin valve gear so as to actuate the safety cams 1 and prevent opening movement of the steam inlet valves and, in this way, cause the engine to come to a standstill. Should, however, the steam pressure increase or the load be reduced during the time the speed of the engine is being slackened and the governor balls are moving from the position shown at A to that shown at B, the counter-weight 20 on the lever 19, aided by the centrifugal force of the rotating balls 4:, will again lift these balls beyond the position A so as to increase the speed of the engine until it again reaches normal speed. When the balls have been again lifted beyond the position A toward the position shown at G, the counter-weighted arm 19 will engage with the stop 22 and will not move farther, remaining in a substantially horizontal position and ceasing to influence the movement of the governor mechanism while in this position. The governor will then act independently of this arm and counter-weight 20 and will regulate the engine speed in the same manner as the governor apparatus heretofore in use. In other words, the counter-weight 20 is not nearly heavy enough to balance the weight of the governor balls 4 and connected mechanism when the governor balls are not revolving.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. By

the use of my improved governor mechanism the speed of the engine is under the control of the governor at all times and injury or damage to the governor mechanism will bring the engine to a. standstill at all times, while the speed of the engine can be reduced by reason of an excessively heavy load or lessened steam pressure below the speed at which the governor mechanism would ordinarily actuate the valve gear to shut off the steam supply and stop the engine without interfering with the regular operation of the governor mechanism in controlling and stopping the engine.

I claim 1. A centrifugal governor having means for controlling the movement of the engine valves in opening and closing, mechanism operatively connected to the engine for driving said governor, and means including a counterweighted swinging arm arranged to automatically retard the closing movement of the valves while the engine is running between predetermined speeds.

2. A centrifugal governor having means for controlling the movement of the engine valves in opening and closing, mechanism operatively connected to the engine for driving said governor, and the swlnging arm having a counterweight arranged to automatically retard the closing movement of the valves while the engine is running between predetermined speeds without pre- 1 venting later closing movements of said valves.

3. A centrifugal engine governor having means for controlling the movement of the engine valves in opening and closing, mechanism operat-ively connected to the engine for driving said governor, and independent means on the governor arranged to yieldingly retard and automatically prevent closing movement of the valve when the engine is running between predetermined speeds.

4. A centrifugal engine governor-having means for controlling the movement of the engine valves in opening and closing, mechanism operatively connected to the engine for driving said governor, and independent means on the governor arranged to prevent closing movement of the steam inlet valves when the engine is running between predetermined speeds without preventing later closing movements of said valves, said means being arranged to yieldingly engage and retard sald closing movement of the valves.

5. A centrifugal governor having means for controlling the movement of the engine valves in opening and closing, mechanism operatively connected to the engine for driving said governor, and independent means having a swinging counterweighted arm arranged to retard the closing movement of the valves while the engine is running between predetermined speeds, the counterweight being adjustable on said swinging arm to vary the interval of retardation before closing said valves.

6. A centrifugal governor having means for controlling the movement of the engine valves in opening and closing, mechanism operatively connected to the engine for driving said governor, and a swinging counterweighted arm arranged to retard the closing movement of the valves while the engine is running between predetermined speeds,

said counterweight being adjustable on the WILLIAM M. FABER.

WVitnesses MORGAN T. LLOYD, H. L. CARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01. Patents, Washington, D. C. 

